From our recent Japanese Acquisitions,

The first we’ve seen

Rare Old Chinese Export Watch Tower Garden Lighting Lantern- this handsome quality tall pagoda top “Watch Tower” hand cast and hand painted lantern is a special find and an authentic old work of art. It dates mid-20th century.

View the brilliant night light which bursts from its pierced perforations!

Its design is unique to our eyes and is reminiscent of China’s tall ancient 2000 year old wooden watch towers built to tower high into the sky so clans could view and receive early warning from approaching rivals (see photograph of a pottery model). Please note the finely detailed tower sections with undulating roof lines, – we count four sections and three separate roofs- each hexagonal surface sculpted in a vine and window pattern all designed to a hexagonal format. – a genuinely creative effort by a talented former artist. Appropriately hand painted in a creamy white color. The lowest section comfortably twists off -so there are two (2) sections, the top of the base section reveals the perfect LED or candle installation space

In a convenient portable size, may be installed on any surface.

Dimensions: 18 inches tall to top and 5.5 inches wide, two pieces.

This handsome rendition would make an excellent garden candidate and stellar conversational display for all your friends, family, and community to joyfully appreciate. Its an ideal accent size for your favorite indoor or outdoor space. Candle access is comfortably reached through the lantern base.

Photographed in natural day light.

Provenance: Old American garden.

Many of our customers place LED, candles or tea lights inside the main section making a romantic and enjoyable decorative accent for entertaining friends and family. It’s a perfect choice for your indoor or outdoor garden space.

Lifetime guarantee of authenticity.

Our gallery based in Newport, Rhode Island USA has been dealing in authentic Pre-Columbian, Japanese and fine Asian art, garden ornaments, lanterns and water basins for 25 years. Our president personally travels across America as well as Japan and Europe each year to meet his network partners who assist him in finding best examples. He personally inspects each antique work of art to ensure its old age, authenticity and quality condition.

History of Japanese lanterns:

In Japan a to¯ro¯ (lantern) is a traditional lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Like many other elements of Japanese traditional architecture, it originated in China. In Japan, to¯ro¯ were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and illuminated paths and lighted lanterns were then considered an offering. In its complete, original form the lantern represents five elements of Buddhist cosmology: Bottom touching the ground, represents chi, the earth, the next section represents sui, or water, ka or fire, is represented by the section encasing the lantern’s light or flame, while fu¯ (air) and ku¯ (void or spirit) are represented by the last two sections, top-most and pointing towards the sky. These last two sections express the IDEA that after death our physical bodies will go back to their original, elemental form.